With 15 years of professional tennis experience, world No. 14 Madison Keys knows a thing or two about taking a beating. Less than two months after a foot injury ruled her out of Wimbledon in 2024, the 29-year-old is already vying for her next title: the U.S. Open, the final major tournament of the 2024 season and, as she tells SELF, her “absolute favorite” of all tournaments.
On July 7, Keys was just points away from reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals after beating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini when she reportedly broke her left leg while returning a shot. The New York TimesKeys returned from a medical timeout with her thigh heavily taped. Times Reports revealed the severity of her injuries. She eventually Step backShe fought back tears as she walked off the lawn to applause.
“The end of yesterday’s match was probably one of my most difficult moments on court,” Keys wrote on Facebook. post The next day it was discovered she had strained her hamstring, and Keys said the damage was limited to a “mild muscle tear” that would still need time to heal.
“By being able to secure that time, [off] “It’s been really beneficial. It’s made me feel so much more confident in my body and my ability to compete again,” Keys said.
But the experience inevitably took a psychological toll. “After you get injured, you have to regain confidence in your body,” Keys says. Not only does recovery take time, but she also has to slowly begin working on regaining her strength, speed, flexibility and endurance, the last of which she’s focused on heavily. In the run up to the U.S. Open, Keys says she’s been “on the court for two to two-and-a-half hours a day” to acclimate her body to the real-world demands of the game. And over the past seven weeks or so, she says, “I’ve basically done every hamstring and adductor exercise ever conceived.”
Keys strives to prioritize her mental health, along with healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and engaging in activities she enjoys. She says dedicating just five to 10 minutes each night to skincare can be “so cathartic and relaxing” for the beauty enthusiast, who has partnered with a scientific wellness company. ThornHer current favorite products, which she can use day or night, include retinol (“I’m approaching 30, so I might give it a try”), Trader Joe’s Marula Oil (“Absolutely worth it [money] And, of course, sunscreen, specifically La Roche-Posay products (“I wear it from head to toe,” she jokes.) And, of course, there’s home renovations and wedding planning. Moved Got a house Engaged With her long-term boyfriend for the past two years On top Preparing for the US Open.
